Actual Christianity

“Nobody comes to the father except through me”

When Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except through Him, it is certain that he did not mean it in the way it’s widely perceived now as a declaration that he would be gatekeeping who gets to spiritually awaken to the kingdom of God (Heaven) within and that such spiritual ascension would only be possible through him and his specific set of teachings. His teachings towards spiritual awakening were sound but history has shown that countless people have been able to awaken to oneness with the universe within, what Christians refer to as “heaven”, via Buddhism, Hinduism, etc or even without ever even having joined a religion so long as the overlapping and underlying teachings of these faiths are practiced and the directions are correctly followed. Frankly, you’re in a better position on your spiritual journey if you have shed any religious labels you’ve applied to yourself. Since the desire for such labeling is purely fueled and motivated by ego and its desire to feel unique by cultivating an identity. Part of that is also accomplished by joining a religious group which invariably generates an “us versus them” mindset rather than accepting and embracing our unity and oneness with all with NO groups, NO borders or boundaries between any of us. Thus the danger of religions.

Because Jesus frequently spoke in hyperbole and metaphor, it is far more reasonable to understand His words as emphasizing the effectiveness of His path, not the exclusivity of it. His teachings may have been the clearest and most direct route compared to those of other teachers in His community, many of whom were likely promoting ineffective spiritual practices. This is likely a reason why He was perceived as such a profound threat to the religious establishment of His time. Jesus was not a teacher that ever promoted or encouraged tribalism in any form, his teachings promoted recognizing our unity and oneness as children of our father. It would be completely inconsistent for him to start establishing boundaries essentially stating you needed to first join his tribe to achieve this experience of oneness with the universe aka heaven.

In more modern language, He might have worded it like: “I’m the only one around here actually teaching a working path to awakening to our inner oneness with the universe.”

The path toward enlightenment is not bound to Jesus or to any single figure, it can be taught, practiced, and realized by anyone. These teachings also cannot be claimed exclusively by Jesus, because the very same path of awakening and ego-transcendence had already been discovered and practiced by Buddhists and others centuries before his birth. What matters is not identity labels or religious affiliation, but the practices themselves, the inner work that actually produces awakening.

Whether one learns these truths through a Christian community, a Buddhist tradition, or entirely outside of religion is irrelevant. What triggers awakening is the practice, not the banner under which it is performed. To believe otherwise is to fall into tribalistic, ego-driven thinking. In fact, I would go so far as to say that letting go of all religious identity labels as much as possible accelerates the process of awakening, because every step of relinquishing identity chips away at the ego, the very thing we are trying to transcend

If awakening were only possible through Jesus, then the countless people who have realized their inner union with the universe apart from Him would have been impossible. Such a claim would make Jesus and God into gatekeepers of spirituality, favoring one group over another, a vision that is fundamentally anti-God, anti-oneness, and even anti-Christ in spirit.

Christianity today suffers from two fundamental flaws. First, the misconception that heaven is a distant location accessible only after death. Second, the patently false claim that total unity with the universe, what Jesus was actually describing as “heaven” is attainable only through Him. The tragedy is that many Christians, convinced this ecstasy of heaven belongs exclusively to their tribe, yet go through life without ever experiencing the very oneness within themselves that Jesus was trying to awaken. To call this a distortion or contamination of His teachings would be an understatement.

The insistence that heaven is reserved only for Christians is born not of divine truth but of human ego, which craves superiority for its own group while condemning others as hellbound. Yet it is impossible to enter true union with the universe while harboring the belief that others are less than you. Even in Jesus’ own teaching, the call is clear: we are all children of God. The implication is profound, we are all equally one, sharing the same divine source.

Jesus’ mission was never to demand worship but to guide people toward recognizing and living in harmony with the Holy Spirit, the ever-present spirit and wisdom of the universe, by observing its lessons and embodying them. His role was that of a teacher and guide, not an idol to be elevated, showing humanity how to return to what had always been within them.

Part of the positive reception to his arrival was not simply the Buddhist ideas he was introducing, which were new to this community, but the way he delivered them. He taught and spoke in metaphors, parables, hyperbole, figures of speech designed to capture attention and illustrate truths vividly. However, much of this figurative and rhetorical style has not held up well across centuries. We’ve seen how dangerous it becomes when metaphor gets interpreted literally, especially when dealing with a teacher who communicated almost exclusively in poetic language.

One clear example is when Jesus said, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” In context, he was figuratively emphasizing the disruptive force of his message on the status quo at the time, not literally advocating violence. Yet many Christians today interpret this verse literally, no longer seeing him as a pacifist, and even using the quote to argue that Jesus would support gun ownership incidentally out of total convenience to their personal hobbies/interest. This distortion has given rise to countless images of Jesus depicted as a militant figure with a gun or sword without any trace of humor or irony.

Another problem is the persistence of archaic language that clouds the true meaning of Jesus’ teachings. Growing up, I often recited the Lord’s Prayer: “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” As a child, I had no idea what “trespasses” meant. In older English translations, the word was “debts,” which is somewhat closer to the intent. But in modern English, a clearer phrasing might be:

“I forgive those who have hurt my feelings/ego, or have disrespected me or offended me in any way. I hold no grievances towards them and they have hurt nothing real. God bless them.”

Such a reframing is vital in today’s culture, where people across all backgrounds and ideologies are quick to take offense over even the smallest slight. Modernizing this language makes the teaching accessible and relevant, while preserving its essential message of forgiveness and release. Because of this, Jesus’ language needs to be reinterpreted into clear, direct, modern speech that cannot be easily twisted to justify personal or political agendas. The wisdom he shared is not exclusive to him; similar teachings appear in Buddhism, Hinduism, and other traditions. They reflect universal truths, not doctrines that belong to one man or one religion.

This is also not just a Christian principle, as this lesson carries universal value. If more people practiced the discipline of not allowing the ego to take every offense personally, society as a whole would benefit. Fringe movements like “cancel culture”, Woke AND Anti-Woke have revealed how destructive victim complex tendencies can be; the impulse to declare oneself a victim, to magnify an offense, and to rally outrage becomes a means of elevating the ego. The victim complex flatters the ego by making it feel special, but it only deepens division and suffering. If we, as a culture, could resist the urge to be so easily offended, and especially to weaponize our wounded egos to destroy another’s life, we would take a profound step toward collective maturity and transcendence. True forgiveness is not weakness, it is strength, because it recognizes that the ego that was “hurt” was never who we truly are. It should also be noted that besides ‘cancel culture’ being the product of weak and damaged egos, it also reflects a person who has no problems being malicious by way of being vindictive and retaliatory in an effort to destroy someone in any way due to what amounts to hurt ego/feelings. A helpful practice is to remind yourself: “I refuse to take this personally” and “I forgive” any slight. When forgiveness is truly mastered, life becomes far lighter; no one has the power to wound the ego, and one can move through the world with resilience and peace.

In short, spiritual oneness with the universe is not exclusive to Christianity. In fact, it may be healthier to pursue it without clinging to any religious label.

Many Blessings Your Way! Join my mailing list if you want occasional updates.
I do not spam email boxes and will not try to sell you anything!